Valve and motor-brake controls operated thereby



Sept. 10,1968 g, R ET AL 3,400,790

VALVE AND MOTOR-BRAKE CONTROLS OPERATED THEREBY Original Filed Feb. 5,1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR 5 CHARLES ALRUH L E DWARD MAYER ATTYSept. 10, 1968 Q RUHL ET AL 3,400,790

VALVE AND MOTOR-BRAKE CONTROLS OPERATED THEREBY Original Filed Feb. 5,1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTORS CHARLES ALRUH L.

EDWARD MAYER ATT'Y P 1968 c. A. L. RUHL ET AL 3,400,790

VALVE AND MOTOR-BRAKE CONTROLS OPERATED THEREBY Original Filed Feb. 5,1966 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FPO/VT 5 m ,Y RwY T OR M LM NAD- ESR VE NLW D EH C Sept. 10, 1968 c. A. L. RUHL ET AL 3,400,790

' VALVE AND MOTOR-BRAKE CONTROLS OPERATED THEREBY Original Filed Feb. 5,1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS CHARLES ALRUHL EDWA D MAYER ATTY Sept.10, 1968 A. RUHL ET AL 3,

VALVE AND MOTOR-BRAKE CONTROLS OPERATED THEREBY Original Filed Feb. 3,1966 5 Sheets-Shet 5 FIG] I 9 E/M I NVENTORS CHARLES ALRUHL EDWARD MAYERAT TY United States Patent 4 Claims. (Cl. 192-3) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE Multiway forward-reverse range valve selectively shiftablefrom neutral into combined rotated and reciprocated positions toco-ordinate the power components of a vehicle as it is made to reversedirection. The valve is eifective to selectively connect, disconnect, orreversely connect clutch pack ports with inlet pressure on angularmovement of the value to an angular position with axial movement thereofto a position depressed partially or more, and further effectiveselectively to connect or disconnect a deceleration and braking cylinderport with inlet pressure upon axial movement respectively to theundepressed position or to anydepressed position aforesaid.

This third application is a division of a second Ruhl divisionalapplication U.S. Ser. No. 524,692 filed Feb. 3, 1966, and is acontinuationin-part of co-pending Ruhl US. Patent No. 3,386,523.

This application pertains to a remote pilot valve and to forward-reversecontrols operated thereby, for use in conjunction with a vehicletransmission which is so controlled that, when being operated into areverse setting by the valve and controls, the transmission withoutdelay neutralizes and, with a delay effect, then takes the opposite orreverse drive setting. The application pertains especially to such avalve and controls operated thereby, providing for both automaticengagement of the vehicle brakes and automatic idling of the engine upondisengagement or neutralizing of the transmission, as well as providingfor automatic release of the brakes and restoration of the engine to aspeed above regular idling when the transmission re-engages.

In that manner the cordination in the vehicle, of the several controlswhich are involved, insures that the takeover shock in the reverse powerpath through the transmission never builds up to a dangerous, or worse,a damaging force, and the overall system as so coordinated is covered inthe referred to US. Patent No. 3,386,523.

The present invention relates to a consolidated pilot valve structureparticularly adapted to operate the several controls and doing sowithout complication. In order to avoid a multiplicity of separateremote valves for operating or piloting the various controls, and alsoto avoid a complicated piping and valve passage system for the separatevalves, it is our general objective to operate such controls with asingle pilot valve in which the various functions are consolidated so asto simplify the task of the vehicle operator and to render the operationas foolproof as practicable.

An object in line with the preceding objective is the provision of aguiding plate having spaced apart longitudinal slots and a common,intersecting gate, which is disposed perpendicularly to and crosses intoand past the central reference plane at each side thereof. In additionto providing for a plurality of positions of progressively deepadjustment of the lever and valve in the central reference plane, thegate is relieved in that plane so as to accommodate overtravel of thevalve lever into a start position for closing the engine self-startercircuit which is pro vided in the vehicle.

An object in line with the preceding objective is the provision, in thecombination of valve, slotted gate plate, and valve control lever, ofbiasing means etfective when the lever occupies the gate, to center thelever and valve into coincidence with the central reference plane.

An object of the invention in line with the preceding objective is toprovide'the valve and a lever locking means, in an arrangement such thatthe valve has a neutral or vehicle non-drive position when it and thelevel occupy the central reference plane, and the locking means locksand prevents unwanted turning of the valve lever in each directionwithin the gate, away from the central reference plane.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rnultiway valvesuch as the foregoing, consolidated into a single remote pilot valve, inwhich a remote valve casing slidably receives the valve in a cylindricalchamber therein provided. In this arrangement, the chamber in the casingis provided with a fluid inlet and outlet, a ported service line leadingtherefrom to vehicle drive control cylinder, means, and a plurality ofpairs of ports arranged circumferentially of the cylindrical chamberwith one port of each pair located on one side and] the other port ofeach pair on the opposite side of the cylindrical chamber. Further, thisarrangement is one in which longitudinal passage and ported means areprovided in the valve for selectively connecting a port on one sidethereof to the respective inlet or outlet, and port on the opposite sideof the respective outlet or inlet when the valve advances in the casingfrom an unmoved neutral position into a combined rotated andreciprocated position, and in which the valve has a generally annularspool and slot means for connecting the service line port selectively toeither the inlet or outlet.

An object in line with the preceding objective is the provision ofdeceleration and braking cylinder means, connected by the service lineto the service line port in the valve casing and utilized when activatedto decelerate the vehicle engine and to apply the vehicle brakes, andthe provision further of a check choke valve connected in the serviceline and unseating and seating in directions whereby the effect of theremote valve inlet pressure to activate the decelerating and brakeapplying cylinder means takes place without delay, and the flowresulting from connecting the cylinder means to communicate with theoutlet pressure takes full eflYect after a set delay.

Further features, objects, and advantages will either be specificallypointed out or become apparent when, for a better understanding of theinvention, reference is made to the following description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings which show a preferredembodiment thereof and in which:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, in which certain parts are broken away for clarity,are respective left side, front, and top plan views of a vehicle controltower embodying the present valve invention, including the mechanismassociated with the valve;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are views taken in top plan and front elevation alongthe respective section lines IVIV and V-V appearing in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a schematic, longitudinal sectional view of the valvegenerally corresponding to the showing of FIGURE 1 and clarifying someof the hydraulic connections; and

The respective cross-sectional views of FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 correspond tothe section lines VII-VII, VIII VIII, and IX-IX; the view of FIGURE 10corresponds to the section lines IX-IX, and with the fluid line Msuperimposed thereon to clarify the active circuit; the views of FIGURES11 and 12 correspond to the section 3 lines XI--XI and XII-XII, and withthe fluid line M superimposed thereon to clarify the circuits; and theview of FIGURE 13 corresponds to the section lines XIIXII and has thefluid line M superimposed thereon to clarify the active circuit, allsuch section lines appearing in FIG- URE 6.

More particularly in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a tractor control towerassembly is shown having a tower 20 provided with a metal housing anddisposed at an acute vertical angle so as to tilt forwardly in alongitudinal vertical plane of an engine powered, transmission drivenvehicle 22. The tower 20 is secured at the base to the vehicle 22 andthe metal housing is generally rectangular in cross-section. In onephysically constructed embodiment of the invention, the tower 20 wassecured to the floor of the vehicle at a convenient location insubstantial transverse alignment with the left-hand side of theoperators seat. A horizontal hand rail 24 is secured to the top of thetower 20 on the outer side of the metal housing.

The components carried by the tower 2i), mostly carried therewithin,include as a main group a single remote pilot valve 26, a valve handlever 28, a gate plate 30 for guiding the lever and valve, and anhydraulic circuit 32 generally appearing as conduits, whereby the valve26 gives to the vehicle operator complete control over a delay valvetype, power shifted transmission, and also control over a power operateddecelerator for the vehicle engine, not shown, and power brakes, notshown, in the vehicle.

Besides these essentially hydraulic-control components, a releasablevalve lock 34 provided in the tower constitutes a mechanical componenttherein, and a starter switch 36 contitutes an electromechanicalcomponent.

A crawler tractor is primarily contemplated as the present vehicle, andstandard controls are used elsewhere thereon such as steering controls,engine manual speed controls, braking controls, and accessory controls.For purposes of simplification, no tractor is illustrated and neitherare the standard controls.

Remote pilot valve-FIGURES 1 and A fore and aft extending valve housing38 of generally hexagonal shape in cross section is fixed by a set ofbolts 40 in the metal control tower 20. A spool element or valve 42 isslidably received in a cylindrical chamber 44 in the housing 38 forselective reciprocation or rotation therein. The valve 42 has a fork 46which projects from the front of the housing 38.

At the rear 48 of the housing 38, the valve 42 carries in a transversebore a pair of ball detents 50 which are biased outwardly by a commonspring and which hold the valve 42 in longitudinal positions byreleasably seating in individual, coaxial ball detent grooves N, 1, and2 in the rear portion 48. The valve therefore has extended, partiallydeep, and full deep positions in the housing 38.

The hydraulic circuit 32 includes the conduits referred to, a set offittings 54 on one side of an hydraulic junction plate 56 in the base ofthe tower 20, and a set of interconnecting fittings and conduits, notshown, on the opposite side of the plate 56 by means of which the towerassembly is hydraulically connected to the referred to decelerator,power brakes, and delay valve type, power shift transmission.

Valve lever-FIGURES 1 and 2 The valve 42 pivotally carries the lever 28by means of a connecting pin 58 passing through the valve fork 46 andthrough an intermediate portion of the lever. As the valve 42 rotates,the lever 28 rotatably tilts therewith about the valve axis and occupiesthe positions shown by the lines 28, 28a, and 28b and disposed in therespective ones of three radial planes which intersect the axis of thevalve 42. When disposed in each of the planes, the lever 28 pivotstherein on its slotted lower end 60 about a hori- 4 zontal rod 62engaged in the slot and bolted at 63 crosswise to the metal tower 20.The rod is thus fixed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the valve42.

The longitudinal vertical plane through the valve axis forms a centralreference plane among the three planes, and two opposing compressionsprings 64 and 66, carrying seats 68 at their inner end, engage theslotted lower end 60 of the valve lever 28. The springs expand and reacha balanced position when they have moved the lever into the solid lineposition 28 shown in FIGURE 2 occupying the central reference plane. Thedihedral angles A indicated on either side of the central referenceplane were each 20 degrees in one physically constructed embodiment ofthe invention.

Gate plate-FIGURE 3 The valve lever 28 has a knob carrying, upstandingend projecting through the horizontally disposed gate plate 30 at thehead of the tower 20. The plate 30 guides movement of the lever 28 andincludes longitudinal inner and outer slots 70 and 72, respectively, anda transverse slot portion or gate 74 interconnecting the inner and outerslots. The valve lever takes the position shown by the solid lines 28 inFIGURES 1 and 3 when the remote valve 42 is in a neutral (N) settingand, upon predetermined rearward movement of the knob, takes a fast idle(FI) position shown by the broken lines 280 in FIGURES 1 and 3 andcorresponding to the valve 42 being in a fast idle setting. Byovertravel, the lever 28 is capable of limited movement furtherrearwardly, from F1 into a start position (S) in which it occupies aperpendicularly relieved portion 76 of the gate.

In transferring among the positions just described, the lever 28 issimply pivoting about its lower end 60 in the central reference plane.The longitudinal inner and outer slots 70 and 72 coincide with the othertwo planes in which the lever 126 pivots.

More specifically, the valve lever 28 has two positions in the innerslot 78, moving the valve 42 into a low range forward setting F 1 whenthe lever 28 transversely aligns with a plate marking 1 beside the slotand moving the valve into a high range forward setting F2 when the lever28 aligns with a marking 2. Similarly, the lever 28 has positions in theouter slot 72 so as to transversely align with the markings 1 or 2,respectively, thus moving the remote valve 42 into a corresponding lowrange reverse setting R1 or a high range reverse setting R2.

Valve l0ck-FIGURES 1, 2 and 4 The valve 42 and the valvelever 28 areprevented from rotating out of the central reference plane by thereleasable lock 34. The lock mechanism includes a tubular shaft 77journalled to rotate on a fixed axis in the upper end of the tower 20.The shaft 77 carries a rigid pair of parallel, closely spaced apartplates 78 and 80 which can be turned thereby from an unpivoted position,shown in solid lines, into a pivoted position shown in broken lines inFIGURE 1 in which the plates straddle the lever 28. The valve 42 isrendered incapable of causing transmission engagement in the vehicle,but the valve is free from interference in its movement among the N, F1,and S positions.

The shaft 77 carries at the inner end a selector lock safety handle 82which, in the unpivoted position, extends horizontally forward from thetower 20. When pivoted into the locking position shown by the brokenlines 82a in FIGURE 1, the safety handle 82 intervenes between theoperator and the valve lever 28, as a reminder that the transmission islocked out of the drive settings.

A toggle formed by a forked slide rod 84 and a crank pin '86 holds thevalve lock 34 in its respective unpivoted and pivoted positions. The pin86 is carried in a upstanding bracket 88 rigid with the shaft 77. Theslide rod 84 is carried by a pivot block 90 which is capable of limitedrotation on a fixed axis in the tower 20. A compression spring 92 at oneend seats on the pivot block 90 and at the other end biases the sliderod 84 outwardly therefrom into engagement with the pin 86.

Movement of the lock 34 from the solid line position into the lockedpivoted position causes the pin 86 to cross and move slightly past aright line connecting the respectiveflaxes of the shaft 77 and the pivotblock 90. The compression spring 92 is further compressed in theprocess, and holds the lock unless and until the operator resets thelever from the broken line locked position 82a into the off or unpivotedposition.

Start switch-FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 Hydraulic circuit-F1 G URE 6 Thecylindrical chamber 44 in the valve housing 38 is intersected by aninlet 98 and an outlet 100 disposed therein in longitudinally spacedapart relation at the bottom, and also intersected by a service lineinlet-outlet port 102 disposed at the top intermediate the inlet andoutlet. A pair of low range ports 104 and 106 is formed in the chamber44 at the opposite sides thereof and a pair of high range ports 108 and110 is formed at another longitudinal location and on opposite sides ofthe chamber 44. A set of four drain ports 112 formed at points in thesides of the chamber 44 is connected by means of a pair of headers 114to a return line, which is a conduit common thereto and to the outlet100. The abbreviated functional designation L is applied to the commonreturn line, and the further abbreviated functional designations M, N,F1, F2, R1, and R2, are applied to individual conduits in the hydrauliccircuit 32.

The valve 42 includes various ported radial passages intersecting acommon longitudinal passage 11-8, and is grooved or relieved at variousout side points hereinafter described by milled slots on the right,left, top, and bottom sides thereof.

An annular division land or spool 120 on the valve 42 has two otherspools which are disposed one on each side thereof and which are inspaced apart relation so as to define therewith annular lube or lowpressure groove or slot 122 communicating with the return line L, andmain line pressure slots 124 communicating through the inlet 98 with amain pressure line M.

The service line inlet-outlet port 102 is connected to a service orneutral line N which includes a flow check or check choke valve 126 soas to control the application and exhaustion of pressure to and from adecelerator cylinder 128 and an automatic braking cylinder 130. Thevalve 126 includes a ball check 132 unseating in a direction whereby theeffect of control pressure application to operatively extend thedeceleration and brake applying cylinders 12-8 and 130 takes placewithout delay, and a delay effect takes place as the valve 126 releasespressure so as to retract the cylinders.

The deceleration and braking operation ismore completely described inthe referred to US. patent application Ser. No. 507,010. Briefly, thecylinders 128 and 130 extend simultaneously and retract simultaneously.The cylinder 128 pushes against and displaces, and later releases adecelerator link 134 which, while it is displaced, forces the vehicleengine to idle irrespective of the manual speed setting. Extension andretraction of the braking cylinder 130 exerts a push against anddisplaces, and then releases a power brake valve lever 136 which, in

the displaced position, causes the so-called pivot brakes, not shown, toengage and stop the vehicle.

The operation of the power cylinders by the choke valve 126 has beenoversimplified for clarity, In actual practice, a piloted valve QO-TDCof the quick opening, time delay closing type Will intervene as arelaytype connection between the valve 126 and cylinders, and be pilotedby the pilot valve 42 so as to function as a delay valve. For thatoperation, pressure is rapidly applied by the valve 126 to a pilotcylinder 138 on the valve QO-TDC, but is slowly exhausted from thatcylinder 138 during the opposite phase of the cycle. A branch line Bprovided between the main pressure line M and the valve QO-TDC, andreturn line from the latter valve allow pressure to be directly appliedand directly exhausted by the valve QO-TDC to and from the cylinders 128and 130.

The operation of a transmission structure 140 in the vehicle, now to bebriefly described, has also been oversimplified. In practice, the valveQO-TDC is connected to a set of valves, not shown, called the rangeselector valving of the transmission structure. The latter valvingoperates without delay when the transmission structure is neutralizedthereby, but has a set delay before the valving can establish a drive orreverse the drive of the vehicle, due to the overriding effect of thedelay valve QO-TDC.

The remaining set of conduits F1, F2, R1 and R2 in the hydraulic circuit32, leading between the remote valve casing 38 and the vehicletransmission structure 140, individually connects the group of rangeports 104, 106, 108 and 110, and the so-called range selector valving inthe transmission structure 140. Briefly, the latter valving controls aforward clutch pack, not shown, providing low range F1 and high range F2forward drives, and a reverse clutch pack, not shown, providing lowrange reverse R1 and high range reverse R2 drives in power paths throughgearing in the transmission structure 140.

3-positi0n 7-way valve-FIGURES 6-13 In the combinations among its threelongitudinal positions and three planes into which it can be rotated,the valve 42 assumes the already defined settings N, PI, F1, F2, R1, andR2. The result is seven ways of interconnecting the conduits of thehydraulic circuit 32, namely, the lines N, L, M, F1, F2, R1, and R2.

In the N position illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 in which the valve 42is unmoved from the fully extended position in its central referenceplane, line pressure from the main pressure line M is directed by thevalve 42 only to the inlet-outlet service port 102, and also from themain line branch B by the quick opening valve QO- TDC to the deceleratorand brake cylinders 128 and 130. More particularly, the main linepressure slots 124 on the intervening valve 42 interconnect the inlet 98and the inlet-outlet port 102 of the service line N, whereas the valvespool 120 blocks the outlet 100 from the inletoutlet port 102 justreferred to. The effect is that the vehicle brakes are set and theengine speed control is positioned in the engine idling position. Thiseffect occurs without delay when the valve moves from any other positioninto the N position.

In the FI postiion shown in FIGURE 8 in which the valve 42 has a partialdepth of reciprocation, the annular groove 122 interconnects theinlet-outlet port 102 and the outlet 100, whereas the valve spool in thebackground blocks the inlet-outlet port 102 from the inlet 98.Consequently, the delay valve QO-TDC is piloted slowly open,automatically depressurizing and simultaneously retracting the cylinders128 and 130. A delay of 2 /2 seconds has been found suitable 'and, afterthe set delay, the engine is restored to a speed corresponding to themanual setting and the vehicle brakes are released.

In both the N and the FI positions, the group of range ports 104, 106,108 and 110 is connected through the set of drain ports 112 to thereturn line L. Both sides of each clutch pack are depressurized andtherefore inactivated, and no drive is transmitted in the vehicle. FIG-URE 11 shows this condition, wherein milled slots 142 on opposite sidesof the valve 42 interconnect the low rannge ports 104 or 106 at eachside with the drain port 112 at that side. A similar interconnectionhandles drainage of the high range ports 108 and 110.

In the F1 position as viewed in FIGURE 9, in which the valve 42 isrotated to the left as so viewed, and has a partially deep position ofreciprocation, main line fluid is directed in a path including the inlet98, the longitudinal passage 118, and the low range port 104 so that theconduit F1 is pressurized and the appropriate clutch causes the vehicleto proceed in low speed forward. Simultaneously, the opposed low rangeport 106 communicates, through a milled slot in the side of the valve42, with the adjacent drain port 112 and the return line L so that the:low range reverse drive clutch is inactive.

- In the R1 position as viewed in FIGURE 10, in which the valve 42 isrotated full rightwardly as so viewed, and has the partially deepposition of reciprocation the same as in FIGURE 9, the low range reverseconduit R1 is pressurized at main line pressure for reverse drive, andthe conduit F1 is connected by a milled slot in the valve 42 to theadjacent drain port 112. In both FIGURE 9 and FIGURE 10, the high rangeports 108 and 110, not shown, are at this time each connected byadjacent drain ports 112 to the return line L.

In the F2 and R2 positions illustrated in FIGURES 12 and 13,respectively, in which the valve 42 is rotated to one side or to theother of the central plane and has the full depth position ofreciprocation within the valve housing, the selected one of the highrange ports or 110 is connected to main line pressure and the other oneis connected to the return line L. In both cases, the conduits F1 and R1are connected to the return line L and the resulting drive is high speedforward or high speed reverse as selected.

Positioning of the valve 42 to any setting from the N position, or froma set position through the N position and into another position, allowsboth the brake release and the engine advancement from enforced idlesetting to the manual speed setting to be accomplished, but only afterthe automatic delay effect created by the valve QO-TDC. Therefore if adrive is established or the drive is changed through the vehicletransmission structure 140, the transmission is conditionedautomatically beforehand due to an enforced minimum speed of rotation onits input side and due to little if any coasting speed residual on itsoutput side. The reason is independent of the pilot valve rotation andis already assigned in the description of the FI position. That is tosay, the annular groove 122 and the spool 120 of the valve 42 coact withthe inlet-outlet port 102 to respectively connect it to the return lineand block it from mainline pressure, whenever the pilot valve 42 isdepressed to either a full depth or a partial depth position in itsreciprocation.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiway valve of the character described includa vehicle enginedecelerating means and a vehicle brake applying cylinder means;

a remote valve casing having a cylindrical chamber provided with a fluidinlet and outlet, and a ported service line leading therefrom to saidvehicle engine decelerating means and said vehicle brake applyingcylinder means;

a remote valve in said chamber;

said casing having a plurality of pairs of ports (104, 106, 108, 110)arranged circumferentially of the cylindrical chamber with one port ofeach pair located on one side and the other port of each pair on theopposite side of said cylindrical chamber;

said valve having longitudinal passage (118, 114) and ported means forselectively connecting a port on one side thereof to the respectiveinlet or outlet and a port on the opposite side to the respective outletor inlet when said valve advances from an unmoved neutral position intoa combined rotated and reciprocated position;

said valve having generally annular spool and slot means (120, 122, 124)for connecting the service line port selectively to either the inlet(98) or outlet and control lever means for selectively rotating orreciprocating said valve.

2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising:

a check choke valve (126) connected in said service line and unseatingin a direction whereby the effect of the remote valve inlet pressureapplied by the remote valve and the service line to the decelerating andbrake applying cylinder means takes place without delay, and a delayeffect takes place when the remote valve and service line releasepressure from the cylinder means to the outlet.

3. The invention of claim 2, further comprising:

a gate plate;

said control lever means projecting through a guide slot (74) in thegate plate to guide the motion of reciprocation and rotation of thelever means and valve.

4. The invention of claim 1, further comprising:

an intervening delay valve (QO-TDC) operatively connected to thecylinder means and controlled by fluid flow in the service line so as tooperate the cylinder means according to quick opening and time delayclosing of the delay valve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN W. WYCHE III, PrimaryExaminer.

